Clementine
by jane.green
Summary: You can love two women; one in marriage, the other one in your mind. Moments of undisclosed love between Harry and Hermione. Set in the years after the War. R&R.
1. Harry

1.

I remember I was in the kitchen. I was taking out some glasses from the cupboard. Ginny was in the dining room, talking to Ron and Luna. Rolf Scamander was in the garden, examining the gardenias planted by Ginny.

I heard her steps, but I was not sure it was her. She was wearing a green dress. I saw the hem from my peripheral vision.

She was holding some dishes in one hand.

'Luna said she doesn't want any wine,' she said. I nodded imperceptibly.

She went over to the sink and turned on the water.

'Hermione, you don't have to wash the dishes. You're our guest,' I said, smiling slightly.

I walked over to the fridge and took out two bottles of wine. They were almost frozen in my hands. When I had put them on the table, I allowed myself to look at her.

She was cleaning her hands with a tissue. Her face was soft blue in the afternoon light. A few strands had fallen from her tight knot.

She smiled and pointed at the bottles.

'I thought you hated red wine,' she said.

'I do.' I cracked a smile. She remembered that. She always remembered the little things.

'Then why are we having that on your birthday?' she asked, raising a brow.

'Ginny's idea,' I breathed out, feeling awkward.

'Oh,' she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. 'Well, don't worry, I won't tell.'

She walked up to me and straightened the collars of my shirt. 'Do you ever look in the mirror?'

'Only when I walk past it?' I joked.

She scoffed and shook her head. 'Typical.'

I watched the freckles from her face disappear as she turned away from me.

'How long do you think it will last?' I asked, massaging my neck.

'Your party? I don't know, do you want us out already?' she asked, laughing.

'Of course not, it's just, you know I am never comfortable with big celebrations,' I explained.

'I know, I know. But this is hardly a big celebration,' she said, rolling her eyes.

'I'm just turning twenty-five. It's not a life-altering thing,' I said, shrugging my shoulders.

She chuckled and folded her arms in an observatory manner. 'You know, you barely look sixteen.'

'Is that your idea of making me feel better?' I asked.

'Is it working?' she asked, laughing.

'Hardly,' I replied, taking one of the bottles in my hand. She took the other one. We looked at each other for a long time, almost absorbing each other's image.

'We'd better get back out there. Ginny will think you deserted us,' Hermione said.

'I wouldn't mind doing that,' I replied.

Hermione nudged me in the ribs playfully. She walked out of the kitchen. I followed behind.

The back door flew open and Rolf came in. The slight gush of wind lifted her dress hem until it reached my knees.

I caught it between my fingers.

I held it for a while, feeling the soft fabric. When she pushed open the dining room door, I let go.

We were back.


	2. Both

2.

They were in the same booth, close to each other. Their shoulders were touching, up to their elbows.

Hermione was wearing a shirt with short sleeves and Harry was wearing a jacket. Half of her exposed arm ran down his jacket. And he felt a pang in his throat because he couldn't feel her skin.

They were separated by a rough sheet of fabric.

Hermione was drinking ice tea and staring at the dance floor.

'Ron seems to be a better dancer with Ginny than with me. I mean he isn't stepping on her toes,' she joked pointing at the brother and sister.

Harry looked over where she was pointing.

Ginny had dragged Ron for a dance. She had suddenly realized after they'd ordered deserts that she had never danced with her brother. This had to be rectified immediately.

'I'm twenty-four and I've never even danced with you!' Ginny had exclaimed in distress. 'How could we have gone through life so long without doing that?'

'Ginny, siblings don't usually dance,' Ron had told her knowingly.

'Oh, come off it, Bill and I used to dance all the time!'

'Yeah, but that was Bill and he's different...'

'No, he's not. Come on. We've got to give it a try.'

But Ron continued to refuse her.

She complained how he was a terrible brother and wouldn't let her have any fun. She also reminded him how he'd danced with Fleur at his wedding, but not with her.

'And let me remind you, Fleur is _not_ your sister. And don't give me the Veela argument, it won't work on me!'

When he was still a bit reluctant, she told him it was only fair of him to celebrate the good news with her. He was becoming an uncle, after all.

That did it. He finally relented after hearing that and she more than gleefully took his arm and left the booth.

'Well, the dance has just begun. Let's not keep our fingers crossed,' Harry joked, nodding towards the two.

Hermione laughed and shifted in her seat.

'God, do you know, I had no idea,' Hermione almost whispered, taking another sip from her glass.

'No idea of what?' Harry asked, glancing sideways at her. It hurt to look her fully in the eye tonight.

'That she was pregnant. I swear, I can usually tell these things. And I'm not referring to magic. But I just can. And she was one month in and I didn't notice!'

'Don't beat yourself up for it, neither did I. She hid it from me well,' Harry said, smiling at the memory.

'Still, I should have been more perceptive.'

'Nobody really notices pregnancy at that stage,' Harry said massaging his neck.

'I should. Hmm, I think I'm going to do some research into it. From now on, I want to be prepared. I don't want to have any more pregnant friends and not be able to tell,' she said, smiling to herself.

'You are aware that you are being very silly, right?' Harry asked chuckling.

'Hey, I hardly think this matter should be taken lightly!' Hermione said grinning.

Harry took off his jacket. Her soft, warm skin broke into his.

'I should be worrying, not you,' Harry argued.

He relished in the contact between them. He let his body sink into that one arm touching her.

'Are you worried, though? Nervous about being a dad?' Hermione asked.

'Of course. Who wouldn't be? For most of my life I could barely take care of myself. Think I can take care of a tiny baby?'

'As long as you love it, you'll be fine I suppose,' Hermione said smiling.

'You don't seem convinced about that.'

'I do. I mean, all it takes is one look at the tiny creature and you'll know you'll want to keep it safe no matter what. It's an instinct that kicks in quickly.'

Harry nodded to himself.

'And you know this because...'

'Alright, I have no children to speak of, but it's common knowledge,' she said hitting him in the shoulder.

'Common knowledge you say? So, you haven't felt it yourself? You're not a reliable source then,' he joked.

'I know from my parents. Mum described the feeling to me and I think I understand pretty well. And Luna told me about it too, in her most vivid words,' she said, smiling mischievously.

'Yes, trust Luna to make child birth even more magical than it already is,' he said grinning.

'Shut up already. It's common knowledge, okay?'

'It's common for people to feel that, right?' he asked.

'Right.'

'Well, what if the instinct doesn't kick in?' he asked seriously. 'What if I am an exception?'

Hermione stared at him surprised.

'Don't say that. Of course it will. You love Ginny, you'll love this child. It will be a small part of you. Don't even think about something like that.'

'I'm just thinking of all possibilities.'

'This is _not _a possibility. So don't even go there,' she insisted.

'I can't help it sometimes,' he muttered looking at his watch.

His forehead was creased. Little beads of sweat were tangled in his jet black hair.

'It's natural to have doubts. This is your family now. You're building something new. Beginnings are always difficult. You can't help looking back.'

'I'm not looking back,' he said, tapping his fingers on the table. 'I'm just feeling a bit off.'

'A bit off?'

'About Ginny. She seems really happy and carefree, like she has no care in the world. I mean she doesn't seem nervous or anxious.'

'Should she be?'

'Hey, I am concerned, she should be as well. Concerned in the sense that we're going to be parents which is a huge deal. I mean sure, I love it that she's so happy. So am I. But I wish she showed a bit more concern. It's strange to see her like this when I can't be like that. Not fully. I feel like I'm supposed to worry. And she is not.'

Hermione smiled.

'You know you're more than ready right? This is a good reaction. I mean a _good _dad should be concerned about this. It's his duty in a way. It's his protective instinct.'

'Again with the instinct,' he said chuckling. 'So does this mean Ginny is not?'

'Sorry?'

'Ready I mean. Does this mean Ginny is not ready? Since she is not worrying too much?'

'I think you're not giving her enough credit. She might seem pretty calm on the outside. But inside she might be this raging storm about to burst,' Hermione said staring at her glass.

'You think?' he asked rather dryly.

Hermione blinked. 'She has a living thing inside of her. How would _you _feel?'

Harry bit his tongue in remorse.

'I didn't mean...'

'I know you didn't. But you haven't exactly put yourself in her shoes. Not completely, anyways. Not enough maybe.'

'I just saw her so happy and so carefree, Hermione, so I thought, maybe the feeling hadn't kicked in yet. Maybe she was too surprised. Maybe she was -is trying not to think about those kinds of things yet.'

'I think she is already thinking ahead of you. All future mothers do. She's not just telling you, Harry. She has her own concerns, but she just does not voice them,' she argued.

'She just seemed so...adjusted already,' he said quietly.

'Do you think she's _really _adjusted to the idea?' Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow. 'I mean really now?'

Harry opened his mouth.

He closed it. He knew she was right. He hung his head.

'No one is so quickly. No one can be,' she added as an afterthought.

Harry swallowed the heavy saliva in his throat and let himself relax for a moment. His muscles were too tense. He was going to break a nerve.

'You have a way of being right, it's almost painful, Mione,' he said fondly. But he wasn't smiling.

There was silence for a while.

'You...you don't seem pleased,' she suddenly mumbled.

'With what?' he said, his head snapping up.

'With being here?' she asked, shrugging her shoulders.

'Are you kidding? I...I love hanging out with you guys. And I wanted to celebrate.'

'I meant, being here, right now, talking about this. You'd rather be anywhere else.'

'You mean being here with _you_?' Harry blurted out, touching her knee softly with his as he moved.

Hermione looked surprised again.

'Not necessarily. Just, you don't feel comfortable talking about it. You could be having this conversation with Ron, you'd act the same.'

'No. No, you know I wouldn't,' he said staring her in the eye hard.

Hermione frowned and looked down.

'Why not?'

'You're different. You know I am really scared.'

'And he doesn't?' she asked.

'Well, he'd rather not think that. And I'd rather not have him think that. I'd rather have _you_ know that for the both of you,' he answered, wiping away the sweat. 'It's really warm.'

Hermione nodded her head and took another sip.

'Does Ginny know you're scared?' she asked, tilting her head.

'She suspects. I'm not good at hiding it, you know that.'

'Could have fooled me,' she replied crisply.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, if I hadn't asked you how you felt about being a dad, you would have just sat here with that happy smile on your face and you wouldn't have told me a thing,' she said.

'Should I have just begun telling you about my fears and insecurities when we're out celebrating? Wouldn't that have been selfish?' he asked, smiling bitterly.

'No. Because we're friends, you and I. Best friends. And you tell me when something is wrong,' she said, placing her hand over his.

'Just like I tell you,' she added, smiling softly.

'Is there something you _want _to tell me?' he asked, staring at their joined hands.

'About?'

'Something that's bothering you?'

Hermione withdrew her hand and settled it in her lap.

'No, not really. I'm pretty happy with how things are going,' she said, shrugging her shoulders.

He stared at the long line of her shoulders, trembling under the bad lighting in the restaurant.

He sighed.

'That's good to hear. But you'll tell me if something's bothering you, right?' he insisted.

'Where is this coming from?' she asked, slightly amused. 'Nothing's bothering me.'

'You looked upset for a moment there...'

'Yeah, because you told me you were scared. And you seemed unhappy about it. I don't like seeing you like that,' she argued.

'I'm still really...'

'Yes, but you've got to be happy about it, okay?' she said, giving him a reassuring smile. 'Please, for the both of us...'

She could see Ginny and Ron pushing through the throng of dancers. They were going to return.

'I'll...try,' he said, feeling his throat was made of paper.

'You'd better. You know I can tell when you're unhappy.'

Ginny and Ron were walking towards their booth. The song had ended.

'Sometimes,' Harry said, before they arrived, 'I think only you notice.'

Hermione didn't hear him, because Ron called her. And Ginny called Harry.

They were back.


	3. Hermione

3.

That afternoon, we met for a late lunch in the Ministry's restaurant. We were both really tired since it had been a particularly busy day at work. And we were not even finished. Harry was going home though, because Ginny needed him. Mrs. Weasley was coming over and she wanted to have dinner with the two of them.

'You should head home too, you look exhausted,' Harry told me, smiling as he took a big bite out of his sandwich.

'Do I? I feel like I've been run over by a bus,' I confessed. 'But it's always this busy in September, so I shouldn't be surprised. It's right after the big Quidditch matches and a ton of Muggle regulations are broken. Wizards either end up in the hospital, or in the Penalty Office. Either way, it just means more work for us.'

'Tell me about it; Auror controls have doubled since that stupid accident with the tents in Aberdeen. Five Muggles almost died,' Harry complained.

'I know, I read about it. I can't believe they almost caused a tragedy. It's like wizards are idiots with wands. Is it too much to ask them to be civilized?' I asked in frustration.

'Yeah, I wouldn't get my hopes up on that; they do have more power than Muggles. They're always going to take advantage of it.'

'Not with a good education early in life,' I said, pointing my spoon at him. 'If they were taught from her an early age that a wand means great responsibility and that the consequences for illegal usage are very unpleasant, then maybe they'd be a bit reluctant about using it so recklessly.'

Harry raised an eyebrow and gave me a knowing look.

'That sounded a bit too utopic, didn't it?'

'Kind of,' Harry agreed, grinning. 'But you're cute.'

I took out my small mirror from my purse and looked in it self-consciously.

'Not with these huge dark circles I'm not,' I said bitterly. 'I should have tried harder this morning.'

'Relax, you look great…for someone who's been working since eight,' he said, framing my face with his hand.

'Thanks. Ron wants to take me out tonight but I need to take off this face first and replace it with a new one.'

'Oh, God, I just visualized you changing your face. Yuck, I'm eating here. No more mental images,' Harry said making a face.

I laughed. 'Why on Earth would you visualize that?'

'Because I tend to take everything you say literally,' he replied dryly.

'Anyways, getting back on topic…' I began.

'Where's Ron taking you tonight?' he interrupted.

'He bought tickets for this play.'

Harry's eyes widened. 'Ron? Our Ron?'

'Yes, yes, don't worry. I had the same reaction. But I've been dropping subtle hints all month that we should do something artistic. This is his way of telling me he listens.'

'Subtle hints? You? What, you circled the newspaper timetables for plays and movies?' Harry asked smiling.

'No, I sent him an email with The Phantom of the Opera. Honestly Harry!'

'Okay, okay, I just know you're bad at giving signals. You're better off being direct.'

'Yes, I do have a tendency to say what I think, but I can hold my tongue when I have to,' I replied, taking another spoonful of yogurt.

'Is that your only lunch by the way?' he asked, pointing at my yogurt.

'Kind of. Well, if I want to fit into that new dress for tonight,' I said, shaking my head. I knew this seemed so unlike myself, but I guess I wanted to spice up my marriage a bit, as ridiculous as that might sound.

'Mione, you know you look gorgeous whatever you wear so start eating, or I'll make you swallow this sandwich,' he said, pushing a large one in my face.

I would have laughed at his comment, only something he had said made me stop and frown. I bit my lip in confusion. I wasn't sure I heard that right.

'Did you just call me gorgeous? Gee, _Potter_, you're really smooth, aren't you?' I joked, although I could feel my cheeks turning red. I was not blushing out of nerves, I was just feeling terribly awkward, as if he had said something absurd.

But then, looking into his soft green eyes, I couldn't help but feel bad I had turned it into a joke. I thought I would sink into that chair. He had been honest, hadn't he?

But it was too much! You don't just tell your sister she's gorgeous do you?

'Well, you do, I was just telling it how it is. And you're aware of that,' Harry replied, looking down. I could see he was a bit embarrassed.

I shook my head and pushed my yogurt aside.

'Fine, give me one of your ham and cheese,' I said, shrugging my shoulders.

He chuckled and handed me one.

I felt it was really sweet of him to care so much about my eating.

'So, about wizards and wands…' Harry began again, coughing awkwardly.

'Yes,' I said quickly, too glad to get away from the awkwardness of the moment. 'Maybe the age for receiving a wand should be 15, not 11,' I said pensively.

'That would be awful Hermione, admit it.'

'Yeah, that would be quite fascist,' I admitted laughing. 'And you need practice to learn theory so getting a wand that late would handicap you considerably.'

'Maybe they should get a wand even earlier to be able to deal with its consequences from a very young age,' Harry said.

'Some children receive wands earlier. The parents sign a contract with the Ministry. Unfortunately, a good part of those children are filed under House Accidents. Most of them for setting their houses on fire,' I commented, hiding my laughter.

'Yeah, well, those parents just don't look after them. They let them run off with the wand without giving them any restrictions.'

'Maybe wands for young children should come with magical restrictions,' I said, taking another bite from the gigantic sandwich.

'Hmmm….that could work, but once again, we'd be treading on dangerous territory. I mean, we'd have to form an entire Ministry committee to decide what should be restricted and what not. And that's _quite_ subjective,' Harry said gravely.

I loved how we could dig into these absurdly factual and theoretical subjects without the blink of an eye.

'I think the bigger question is how that committee should be formed. Who gets to decide on matters like restricted magic anyways?'

'Well, the same people who decided you couldn't do magic outside of school until a certain age, I suppose,' Harry offered.

'Maybe a committee shouldn't be formed at all. I mean after his first misdemeanor, a child's wand is taken away immediately anyway, because he used it illegally,' he added as an after-thought.

'Not with the new wand-laws. They give the user a great deal of freedom,' I argued. Ever since the War, the official age for wand usage had been dropped to 16 and many other allowances had been made before reaching that age. The Ministry wanted them to be prepared from the early stages. They weren't taking any more chances.

'Okay, okay, but still, despite all these new regulations, there are still many boundaries.'

'Not enough, I'm afraid,' I said, my shoulders sagging. 'Could we please stop talking about work, though? I mean I love a good debate on wand use just as much as the next person, but I am really tired. I feel my appetite dying a little inside.'

'Oh, sorry, I just...well, I know how you feel…' he said, leaning back into his chair. 'But sometimes the job sticks to me like glue.'

'It's only natural. I can't even stop at home sometimes. Ron is a bit put off by it. But I love it. Only I hate it now.'

He laughed. 'That totally made sense.'

'Didn't it?' I asked, laughing as well.

'Yeah. I try not to bring it at home. Talking about the Ministry and its policies makes me gag. I don't love it like you do. I don't even like it all that much. Sometimes... I wish I had taken that teaching position.'

'You know, Harry,' I said eyeing him carefully, 'you could still take the job. Hogwarts is much better than this. And you'd be able to do what you love. I'm sure McGonagall would be thrilled. And so would the students.'

Harry remained silent for some moments and stared at the table between us.

'I know I could still take it. But I can't break from here. I can't just get up and go and leave all you behind,' he said.

'I'm sure Ginny could find a position at Hogwarts as a Quidditch Instructor,' I offered. 'You wouldn't have to leave her here.'

'I was thinking about you guys too,' Harry added. 'And don't tell me you would become a Transfiguration teacher for me. You love your current job.'

'No, I admit, I wouldn't go so far for you,' I said looking away. 'But I would offer to visit.'

'It's just – I've grown so accustomed to my routine. It's comfortable and nice. You've got some surprises here and there, family weekends, time with you guys, our daily Wednesday lunches…' he trailed off.

We only have lunch together on Wednesday because that is when our schedules coincide.

'Yes, it sounds peachy, but you need to find a challenge. And _this _isn't a challenge,' I said, pointing at the space between us.

'Aww, Hermione, I always think of lunch with you as a challenge,' he joked.

I hit him in the foot under the table.

'You know what I meant. Being an Auror does not feel like your calling.'

'Well, I didn't think Quidditch was Ron's calling, but now he's playing professional.'

'He's really good as a Keeper,' I argued. 'Plus, we've been talking about quitting. He wants to work for the Ministry, like he initially planned.'

Harry almost choked on his sandwich.

'Um, when exactly were you two planning on telling me this?'

'Relax, he brought it up out of the blue just yesterday, so I was going to wait.'

'Oh, well, it would be great having him here too,' Harry said, smiling cheerfully. 'The Trio united again.'

'The Golden Trio,' I reiterated.

'Now you're ruining it.'

'Okay, okay, that does sound as cheesy as it did back in the day,' I said, laughing. 'But it would be great, wouldn't it?'

'Yeah...'

'We'd be seeing each other all the time.'

But Harry's demeanour changed. He was thinking about something. His face had grown serious.

'A penny for your thoughts.'

'I'm just thinking about Ron…working at the Ministry, that would be something…'

I looked at him carefully, trying to figure out why he was so serious all of a sudden.

I couldn't help but feel something was wrong. He sounded sad for some reason. I didn't understand.

'Harry, what is it?'

'Nothing. It's silly actually. I'd love to have him here. We'd be working together. It would be great. I kind of miss his antics,' Harry ranted.

'Harry, come on. Something's bothering you. I can tell, remember?'

He smiled. 'It's really silly, actually. You'd laugh.'

'I can hide it,' I joked.

'Not helping.'

'Okay, sorry, I am here. Please tell me.'

'Nope. I think I'm good. I'm going to talk to Ron about it.'

'Harry, don't make me stab you with…'

'You only have a spoon,' Harry pointed out.

'I'll gag you with it if I have to.'

'I would run before you reached me.'

'I would immobilize you with my wand.'

'I would deflect it.'

I sighed. 'Must we do this every time? It's like I'm pulling out your teeth.'

'Ouch. I told you I didn't need any more mental images...'

'One more funny quip from you and I'll...'

'Look, I can't really explain, alright? It's just that part of my routine, this comfortable, loving routine I was telling you about, would be kind of gone. And I kind of like that part.'

'What, you like going on jobs alone? Well, Ron could work on other cases…'

'That's not it.'

'Do I really have to guess then? You know this could take forever, since you have so many issues.'

'Am I that unstable to you?'

'Harry…'

'You'll laugh.'

I told you I wouldn't! Promise I'll be as serious as a grave. I'll even cry if necessary. I'll even…'

'We wouldn't have our Wednesday lunch anymore,' he blurted out.

I stopped mid-sentence.

'Alone, I mean. We wouldn't have this time to ourselves,' he continued.

I didn't know what to say. For the first time in months I was shocked.

'Wh…' I began, but he cut me off.

'I know it's immature. I sound like a First Year. And I know we see each other a lot. But we never get to be alone. I never get to have you for myself.'

'Harry, I…'

'Okay, that came out wrong, but you get what I mean. We used to hang out together all the time. Now we don't as much and if we do we're with Ginny or Ron which is fun, but it isn't always ideal. Sometimes I just need you, the way I need to talk to Ron.'

'I understand…' I said softly.

'Okay, now tell me I'm overreacting and acting like a child.'

I would have told him that. Instead…

'I think it's really sweet.'

'No, you don't.'

'Shut up. I do. You're the same Harry I met on the train. This goes to show it.'

'The same eleven year-old?'

'You've grown a bit taller,' I said rolling my eyes. 'I meant that you're the same loving, caring person. The difference now is that you have a wife and you're going to be a dad soon. You think you're still in school and we're your best mates and you talk to me in the library and you spend time with Ron on the field or playing chess, but things are different now. And I know you'd want them to be the same. Sometimes, I want the same thing too. But we're not at Hogwarts anymore. That passed. And you and I need to spend time with others now.'

Harry smiled and nodded his head.

'I thought you'd say that. I know I'm not at school anymore, for Christ's sake, but…'

'It doesn't mean we can't make time for each other, but not as much as we used to. It can't be the same,' I added.

'Wednesday lunch is not _such _a big sacrifice,' he said lamely.

'Not, it's not,' I agreed smiling sadly.

'It's actually a small thing.'

'I know, but it shouldn't mean such a big thing to us. We still have each other.'

Harry nodded. 'But it's still a great comfort.'

'It is, actually. Funny, now you've got _me_ in a sour mood. Cuz I really enjoy our lunches too.'

Harry frowned. 'Sorry, I didn't mean…'

'No, really, don't apologize. I guess I'd miss Wednesday lunch too. I mean Ron does tend to monopolize anything food related.'

We chuckled.

'So, what are we going to do about it?' Harry asked.

I sighed, knowing the answer was right before me.

'We are going to treat this like adults. Clean and simple. We are going to find another time. Or just deal with it.'

Harry rubbed his eyes tiredly and brushed his hair out of his face. He looked so worn out.

'I guess we'd better enjoy these lunches for now,' he said at length.

'Don't go all mushy on me now…'

'I'm not. I just like our time together.'

'Yeah, I kind of got that,' I said laughing.

'I like how we can just talk about anything. We can start with casual, everyday, trivial things and dive into these complex, social or political issues without even noticing.'

I tried to ignore the fact that I was thinking the same thing. It almost hurt to be such good friends.

'I know. I like that too. Um, hey, listen, about tonight, how about you and Ginny come to the play as well? There are still some tickets left. Ron and I would love it.'

'Molly coming over, remember?'

'Oh, right,' I said slapping my forehead. 'You're busy tonight.'

'Yeah, I am...' he said, giving me a sad smile.

It suddenly hit me how ironic this was. I shook my head.

Yeah, we had each other. Only when something didn't come up. Or when we didn't have other plans. Or when we weren't working. Or spending time with loved ones. So just sometimes.

The clock chimed. It was four o'clock.

We were back.


End file.
